No. 3 ranked Lions overcome scare from Wildcats

Monquavious Johnson threw for 284 yards and four touchdowns to rally the Class AAAAA No. 3 ranked Martin Luther King Jr. Lions from a 17-13 third quarter deficit to a 40-17 win over the Dunwoody Wildcats on Thursday at North DeKalb Stadium.

The fans in the stadium and watching on WSB-TV saw a winless (0-6) Wildcat team control most of the first three quarters of the game in what was looking as an upset.

Dunwoody took the early 7-0 lead on a three-yard run by Aaron Alexander set up by his own 44 yard run around the right side to the Lion three-yard line. Hayes Davidson tacked on the point after with 9:03 left in the first quarter.

The game remained 7-0 heading into the second quarter before the Lions got on the scoreboard as Johnson connected with DeMarquis Polite-Bray on a 73 yard pass play with 5:32 left in the half. The point after was wide and Dunwoody was hanging onto a 7-6 advantage.

A short kick was fielded by Dunwoody's Chase Hawkins at his own 18 yard line cut to the middle of the field and out raced the Lions' defenders
82 yards to the end zone. Davidson's point after made it 14-6 with 5:16 left in the half.

The scoring was over as the Lions Jaquise Williams returned the ensuing kickoff 72 yards to the Dunwoody 12. Two plays later Johnson found Donald Clark in the left corner of the end zone for the score. Yannick Kra tacked on the point after to pull the Lions within 14-13 with 4:15 to play.

The two teams exchanged fumbles in the final 1:56 of the game on the Lions' end of the football field with the Lions taking over with 1:30 to play on their own six-yard line.

A 47-yard run by the Lions' big fullback Jamel Smith out to the Dunwoody
46 put King in a position to get more points before the half. But the Wildcat defense held facing a second and goal at the six as defensive back John Isaacs-Hyliger stepped in front of a Johnson pass at the goal line with five seconds left in the half.

Dunwoody capitalized on a Lion fumble recovered by Charlie Beausoleil at the Lion 33. The Wildcats used a halfback pass from Alexander to Tylor Scales for a 24-yard gain to the Lion 9-yard line. The Lions' defense stood its ground and forced a 22-yard field goal by Davidson as Dunwoody's lead increased to 17-13.

The Lions answered as Smith bulled into the end zone from four yards out with 5:15 left in the third quarter to give the Lions the lead for good at 20-14. Kra's point after was good.

King (6-0) took a 26-17 lead into the fourth quarter as Johnson connected with Clark for the second time, this time from 20 yards out for the score on a great catch by Clark at the goal line.

Spencer Williams added an 18-yard run with 7:06 to play and Johnson connected with Polite-Bray on a 35-yard pass play with 3:41 to play to make the final of 40-17.

Polite-Bray finished with 144 yards receiving and two touchdowns on five receptions while Clark had four receptions for 65 yards and two touchdowns.

In other Thursday night action in DeKalb Miller Grove (5-1) defeated 62-17 Lakeside (1-5) in another Region 6-AAAAA tussle at Adams Stadium. The Wolverines face a tough four-game stretch to end the season with No. 4 ranked Stephenson, No. 2 ranked Tucker, Southwest DeKalb and No. 3 ranked Martin Luther King (6-0) remaining on the schedule as they fight for a playoff beth.

Arabia Mountain (1-5) dropped a Region 6-AAAAA game 30-15 to Mays (3-3) at Panthersville Stadium. Mays held a slight 10-7 lead at the half before pulling way in the third quarter.